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14 Nov 2011, 17:36

Been reading a lot of people's success stories with the GMAT and B School Apps. Love the community here, so I figured I would try and jump in on the GMAT support circle.

I just finished the 9-Week Live In-Person Manhattan GMAT Prep class and I am a little bit lost as to where to take my studies from here. I loved the fact that I could follow the syllabus and do everything assigned. It filled my week with studying and kept me feeling like I was on a constant path that was developed based on the success of many MGMAT alumns. Anyhow, I'm a little bit uncertain of where to go next and quite nervous now that it's all over.

I waited to take my third practice test before scheduling my exam. Results were not as favorable as I would have liked. I have scheduled for December 17th so I have a little over a month to Jump 100 points in score. My last practice score was a 640 and I am looking to score 740 (would be elated to hit the 99th percentile!!).

I have taken the exam already about 3 yrs ago (July 2008 - Scored a 620). I needed it to get into a Masters in Accounting program and I scored well enough to get into both of the program I applied to, but always I knew I would retake in pursuit of achieving my long-term goal of a top 10 MBA experience.

You can see that my Quant results haven't changed, which is KILLING ME!!! I refuse to believe that after almost 3 months my Quant skills have not improved at all. I still suffer quite a bit from the anxiety of the test taking atmosphere even in the practice tests.

I plan to keep posting and if anybody has any questions, please ask (even if for feedback on the MGMAT 9 week class). Love that everybody is in the same boat here battling this extremely frustrating test. Hoping to beat the hell out of the GMAT!

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Been reading a lot of people's success stories with the GMAT and B School Apps. Love the community here, so I figured I would try and jump in on the GMAT support circle.

I just finished the 9-Week Live In-Person Manhattan GMAT Prep class and I am a little bit lost as to where to take my studies from here. I loved the fact that I could follow the syllabus and do everything assigned. It filled my week with studying and kept me feeling like I was on a constant path that was developed based on the success of many MGMAT alumns. Anyhow, I'm a little bit uncertain of where to go next and quite nervous now that it's all over.

I waited to take my third practice test before scheduling my exam. Results were not as favorable as I would have liked. I have scheduled for December 17th so I have a little over a month to Jump 100 points in score. My last practice score was a 640 and I am looking to score 740 (would be elated to hit the 99th percentile!!).

I have taken the exam already about 3 yrs ago (July 2008 - Scored a 620). I needed it to get into a Masters in Accounting program and I scored well enough to get into both of the program I applied to, but always I knew I would retake in pursuit of achieving my long-term goal of a top 10 MBA experience.

You can see that my Quant results haven't changed, which is KILLING ME!!! I refuse to believe that after almost 3 months my Quant skills have not improved at all. I still suffer quite a bit from the anxiety of the test taking atmosphere even in the practice tests.

I plan to keep posting and if anybody has any questions, please ask (even if for feedback on the MGMAT 9 week class). Love that everybody is in the same boat here battling this extremely frustrating test. Hoping to beat the hell out of the GMAT!

The month leading up to your actual exam is the most critical! Well, really the two weeks before are the most important. It's good that you scheduled a date for yourself. That puts yourself invested into your exam. There's room for improvement on both the quant and verbal side for you. How are you doing on timing? Can you answer SC questions quick enough and without necessarily reading all the answer choices?

Make sure you mark down questions you got wrong and revisit them a day or two later. Do the ones you got wrong in random order and see if you make the same mistakes. By identifying the mistakes that you repeatedly make, you'll be better able to spot similar type questions in the future.

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15 Nov 2011, 07:56

Are you keeping an error log? Score stagnation is usually an indicator of some preconceived notion you are unaware of, but is hindering your progress. An error log helps uncover these things and then you must figure out how to address them.
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Good to know that the next month is where I can make the most progress. I have improved my SC skills and it does show when I do timed questions out of the 12th Ed. OG giving myself 1:15 per question, but I still struggle in a testing environment. Even though it's a practice test, I can feel I am not thinking as clearly as when I attempt the questions. Possibly b/c there's more pressure or b/c I am doing problem after problem with out a break (when I work practice ?s I review each question regardless of whether or not I get it right or wrong immediately after).

As far as timing in general, I am doing well with practice problems, making sure I in at the suggesting per question times for each question type, but again, in the full practice exams, I find myself forced to guess on the last couple questions on both sections. I find it more difficult on the verbal when the recommended time per question type varies.

I'll definitely start working through all the problems I missed in random order. My plan was to get through all the questions in the 12 ed. OG and then go back and do the ones I got wrong again.

Do you guys have any pointers for making sure I stay on schedule? I can definitely feel the improvement but I struggle when i put a bunch of questions together. Is this something that I will catch onto as I take my next 5 CATs?

In response to MOHATER:

Not familiar with the error log, but will definitely look into it. We have an online tracker from MGMAT's student center that breaks down the problem types, level of difficulty and your % correct. Is this more detailed than that?

Thanks again for the responses. My work schedule the last week has literally derailed my consistent (at least 2 to 3 hrs) a day study habit for the last week as I spent 30 hours this past weekend working. Hoping to get my rhythm back this weekend and work on a practice exam on Monday.

Again, really frustrated here. Scored an identical 640 with an identical Q and V breakdown from the last test. STILL CAN'T BELIEVE MY Q IS THE SAME!! I can however say with this shortcoming, I am not as surprised as I have worked upwards of 80 hours during the last weekend and week. Broke my steady study regiment of about 3 hrs a day from November 10th to 17th and got back into it on this last Friday.

This one is a little bit more disheartening because I didn't improve at all. Although not desirable, my previous test results have at least shown some improvement from the preceding result.

I have a little over a month to jump 100 points. I plan to take a practice test each of the next 4 weeks preceding my exam with the GMAT Prep tests last (since they are the closest indication of the real exam). My day-to-day prep will include reviewing my practice tests and just working through timed problems from the OG 12th ed, and the Verb/Quant reviews books. Will probably start working them based on weak areas in my 3 practice tests.

It's clear to me now that my per question performance is much inferior when actually taking the test. Does anybody have any advice on how to work through the remaining OG 12 Ed, Verbal review, and Quant review questions? I feel confident in practice (on individual problem sets), even when timed. However, I cannot seem to bring it on the practice exams. Guess the added pressure of improving gradually is clouding my thoughts while taking the test.

The only good takeaway is that I know I can get some difficult questions correct in timed practice. I just need to figure out how to achieve the same results in a testing situation. Any experience or techniques that worked would be greatly appreciated.

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29 Nov 2011, 11:36

Hey all.

Planning to take my 5th MGMAT CAT this Sunday or Monday. I decided to give myself a much longer gap between CATS this time to drill OG questions. I have to say I am feeling quite a bit more pressure to improve on this CAT than the previous practice tests, being that my score should reflect more valuable study time than the others.

I have been trying to work through all of the OG 12th Ed. general level difficulty problems that I have not done during my 9 week MGMAT class and re-work the problems I did, but got incorrect. Each day (Studying for about 6 hrs on the weekends and 4 hrs after work), I try to keep a balance:

- knock out a few areas (ex. Equations, Inequalities, and VICs) of the Quant for each subject area (ex: basic equations, quadratic equations, equations with exponents) in both PS and DS. - Approx 30 questions - Work one area of C.R. (ex. Strengthen questions) - Approx 20 questions - One area of S.C. (ex Modifiers) - Approx 20 questions - One short R.C. and one long R.C.

I'm feeling considerably more confident on the Verbal questions, but my confidence varies with Quant (feeling somewhat beaten by getting the same score on four straight tests over almost 3 months). Of course, I'll see when I take the next practice test.

Once I wrap all of the OG 12th Ed. General questions, I'll move on and tackle the Advanced questions. Once I finish that, I plan to work in a similar balanced study approach using the OG Verbal and Math, but I will mix in the general and advanced problems.

I have MGMAT CAT 5 and 6 and then the GMAT PREP 2 Tests to do before my test date of December 22nd.

Now that I am done with my class (ended on Nov 9th), I am sort of taking a swing at putting together a balanced study plan. I want to make sure I am making the most of my time since it is getting limited and I am about 100 points from my target score. Any thoughts on my approach?

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05 Dec 2011, 19:48

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Don't be discouraged. I upped my score 100 points in 7 weeks (640: 31Q 44V to 740: 48Q 44V).For me the key was three specific things:1: ALL quant practice. As you can see my verbal was already very high, but it took some mental toughness to just leave it 100% alone and focus on all quant in the remaining 7 weeks. Where is your weakness? Go get after it!2: Build quant stamina. On an average weekend day I would do 2-3 sets of 20-40 problems only checking my answers between sets. I would leave ALL the review for the end. This helped my build up my ability to complete a whole quant section without feeling so strained. For the poster who checks the correct answer after each and every practice problem, I suggest you stop that right away as it keeps you from gaining momentum, imho.3: Major use of the error log. I learned that I was quite strong on geometry, solid in algebra, and downright terrible in arithmetic. I wouldn't have really picked up this if not for the error long. I refocused my efforts even further when I found that I was getting basically none of the arithmetic DS questions right.

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05 Dec 2011, 22:54

Thx for the reply. Congrats on your score. That is so impressive. It's my goal to hit that score, but I'm honestly studying hrs upon hrs every day work day or not, and can't see the end result coming...

Do you think it's possible to improve a score 100 points in 15 days? I take on December 22nd (I have been studying for 3 months now and finished a 9 week MGMAT class).

I use a pretty fancy error log (statistics tool) that is built into the Mahattan GMAT online student center. I also run assessments on my practice exams. Honestly, it's like I am in another world when I am working through a practice test vs when I am doing practice problems. I think your advice related to stamina is key for me. I feel good with practice problems, but can't think clearly to save my life on the test. I am going to start working problem batches without checking them until I am done.

As far as weaknesses go, I struggle more with Quant overall, although my score in verbal isn't stellar either. I have more issues with PS than DS. I get almost none of the 700 - 800 level questions correct. less than half of the 600-700 levels correct, most of the 500 to 600 levels correct, and all of the 300 - 500 levels correct. I need to be getting all of the 300 through 700 correct and an occasional 700 to 800. I struggle with algebraic translations and word translations in general. Honestly, I feel like I can miss any topic area under pressure no matter how comfortable I feel in practice. In verbal reading comp is tough for me. SC is by far my better area. Critical Reasoning I am all over the place.

I am going to go back to it tomorrow. I had wanted to have this exam behind me after almost four months of studying on Dec. 22nd, but it's looking like I am going to have to keep going through 2012 with a retake.

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06 Dec 2011, 12:14

LadyRoadWarrior wrote:

3: Major use of the error log. I learned that I was quite strong on geometry, solid in algebra, and downright terrible in arithmetic. I wouldn't have really picked up this if not for the error long. I refocused my efforts even further when I found that I was getting basically none of the arithmetic DS questions right.

Hey, LRW, I was just wondering could you post you error log on this thread? I am currently just studying and have not taken a single real prep test. I only went through the problems at the end of each section that were referred to. Since you made a nice jump in a short period of time, I have a feeling that your log is really good

It would be nice to see how you did it so I compare it with mine. I hope I am not asking a lot and thanks in advance _________________

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06 Dec 2011, 16:01

Laker7 wrote:

LadyRoadWarrior wrote:

3: Major use of the error log. I learned that I was quite strong on geometry, solid in algebra, and downright terrible in arithmetic. I wouldn't have really picked up this if not for the error long. I refocused my efforts even further when I found that I was getting basically none of the arithmetic DS questions right.

Hey, LRW, I was just wondering could you post you error log on this thread? I am currently just studying and have not taken a single real prep test. I only went through the problems at the end of each section that were referred to. Since you made a nice jump in a short period of time, I have a feeling that your log is really good

It would be nice to see how you did it so I compare it with mine. I hope I am not asking a lot and thanks in advance

I actually used one found here - perhaps on the big "study plan" or "GMAT Basics" thread and then just made it simpler because it had a ton of data included. I wasn't religious about use, but it did make some things clear for me. Good luck!
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06 Dec 2011, 16:07

neilferrini wrote:

Thx for the reply. Congrats on your score. That is so impressive. It's my goal to hit that score, but I'm honestly studying hrs upon hrs every day work day or not, and can't see the end result coming...

neilferrini wrote:

I think your advice related to stamina is key for me. I feel good with practice problems, but can't think clearly to save my life on the test. I am going to start working problem batches without checking them until I am done.

Yes I think you are getting anxious (like I was) and potentially sabotaging yourself. For me, I had to quit the CAT. I was just getting too obsessive about my scores. Find your own path to an anxiety-free study plan. Very likely your right path isn't the same as mine, but I would try a few new techniques and vary how, when, and where you study to try to avoid burnout. See what works.

Best of luck to all. What I've learned is that there is no single right path to the score you want. For me the key is flexibility and persistence. If you're willing to try all sorts of techniques, you'll eventually get on the right one for you.
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I think I am starting to come to terms with the fact that I will have to retake again in 2012. It doesn't exactly seem feasible to jump 100 points in 15 days (test Dec. 22), but I'm going to try.

Perhaps this will help me perform better! I am going to work on stamina and just go over problems and advance content in my MGMAT guides until the week before. I feel like I have to take a GMAT Prep exam before hand though so I'll probably take one that week.

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14 Dec 2011, 18:20

So I just took my 6th and final CAT exam from MGMAT and scored a 700! My exam is still scheduled for December 22nd and up until now I had been 50/50 on rescheduling the test for later so I don't have a blemish on my official score report (I have been uncertain about whether adcoms see all my scores or truly just my one self reported best score that in making their decision). I was actually going to decide based on my result.

I am not sure how the change was this drastic. Perhaps I am just being too negative (probably from being slapped in the face by this test time and time again), but I can't help but wonder if it was a fluke. I always felt that in practice I was getting OG questions right at the higher level in the time constraints and I was much more relaxed this time and I know that helped out. That has been the case for math as well and from the breakdown it is apparent that verbal pulled me into the 90th percentile.

Really not sure what to think. I have yet to take the GMAT Prep tests. Since this forum welcomes honesty, I love that 700 # so much I'm a bit worried about what I might get at another test (Although, I have heard GMAT Prep results are typically higher than the MGMAT CAT results.)

Also, I just finished up the OG and still have every questions in the verbal and quant review books. I can burn through those over 7 days and get a lot more exposure. Somewhere in there I have two GMAT prep cats as well. Just an idea of what practice materials I have.

I have to decide by 12:00 AM tonight to not paying the 250 to move the test. I think I am going to take it, but any advice, support comments would be greatly appreciated?

Can I trust a score jump that big? Any thoughts or questions. My target is 740. I could leave the test center happy with a 720 though.

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14 Dec 2011, 19:13

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@NeilFerriniFirst of all, CONGRATULATIONS. You can go around and around about whether your score was representative... but let's face it, getting a 700 on the CAT means that it is within your capabilities to get a 700 on the exam (with the right set of questions, your mood/attitude, etc). This is great news!

To answer some of your specific questions:No, I would not cancel/reschedule your exam next week. It's highly likely you'll get a good score. If not, you'll retake. Plenty PLENTY of people take the GMAT twice. Many of the admissions consultancies tell their candidates to plan on taking it twice. I did, and did markedly better the second go around. Schools will see my 740, and then they'll see my 640. Everyone who I've spoken to has said they won't care about the 640 because the 740 is there.

Also I would take a GMATPrep immediately. They are, in my opinion, the most relevant prep test you can take. See where that leaves you.

I would also not make this a race to the finish. Relax. Don't over-tire yourself.In my last 7 days before my most successful test, I only studied a few hours total, and took one CAT 48 hours before exam time. The day of, I did about 10 practice problems to warm up my brain, re-read the brilliant How to Get a 6.0 AWA post (and did!), went to the gym, ate a good breakfast and killed the exam.

Also, as many others state here - 700 is very much a measuring stick. Once you're in the 700 club, there are arguments that can be made that a 700 vs 720 vs 740 is not very material. Of course, not every adcomm feels that way about every applicant... but there are many components to an application and the exam is just one of them.

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15 Dec 2011, 23:35

LadyRoadWarrior wrote:

@NeilFerriniFirst of all, CONGRATULATIONS. You can go around and around about whether your score was representative... but let's face it, getting a 700 on the CAT means that it is within your capabilities to get a 700 on the exam (with the right set of questions, your mood/attitude, etc). This is great news!

To answer some of your specific questions:No, I would not cancel/reschedule your exam next week. It's highly likely you'll get a good score. If not, you'll retake. Plenty PLENTY of people take the GMAT twice. Many of the admissions consultancies tell their candidates to plan on taking it twice. I did, and did markedly better the second go around. Schools will see my 740, and then they'll see my 640. Everyone who I've spoken to has said they won't care about the 640 because the 740 is there.

Also I would take a GMATPrep immediately. They are, in my opinion, the most relevant prep test you can take. See where that leaves you.

I would also not make this a race to the finish. Relax. Don't over-tire yourself.In my last 7 days before my most successful test, I only studied a few hours total, and took one CAT 48 hours before exam time. The day of, I did about 10 practice problems to warm up my brain, re-read the brilliant How to Get a 6.0 AWA post (and did!), went to the gym, ate a good breakfast and killed the exam.

Also, as many others state here - 700 is very much a measuring stick. Once you're in the 700 club, there are arguments that can be made that a 700 vs 720 vs 740 is not very material. Of course, not every adcomm feels that way about every applicant... but there are many components to an application and the exam is just one of them.

Best wishes and let us know how it goes!

LadyRoadWarrior - Thank you again for taking the time to give input! I really appreciate the encouragement! I am still taking the test next Thurs. I am studying through OG questions and will start working through the verbal and quant review books tomorrow. I really think that going in knowing I can retake will alleviate some pressure. I was overly concerned with what a blemish on my score report might mean to an ADCOM, but an admissions consultant on this forum actually said to not even report any lower scores and it should be a nonissue.

I plan to take a GMAT prep on Saturday or Sunday - I hope I am not waiting too long, Not sure if I'll get in the second GMAT Prep - Do you think that's bad? I just plan to put in lots of hrs working through official problems. Hopefully I can bring my Quant up.

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16 Dec 2011, 09:23

If it were me, I would take two CATs and not overly burden myself with review materials.Being fresh and rested on G-day is critical, and you get that not just from a good night's sleep the night before, but from not killing yourself in the week before the exam.

Best wishes and let us know how it goes.

One last thought: in my experience, the GMATPrep CAT was very accurate on quant, and a little low on verbal.
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Not quite sure what to think. You did mention that the verbal in your opinion was a little low. That is positive info for me...

I was really hoping to score in the 700+ on this one. I have heard that GMAT Prep score is generally higher than MGMAT (granted, I have only scored in this range on one MGMAT test).

Really hoping for a stronger score next Thurs. I have on more GMAT Prep exam, but not sure if I want to take it. Also have a ton of V.R. and Q.R. questions I have yet to touch that I can work through. Thoughts?

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18 Dec 2011, 16:43

neilferrini wrote:

GMAT Prep I - 690 (Q44 V40)Not quite sure what to think. You did mention that the verbal in your opinion was a little low. That is positive info for me...

YES! Particularly for those of us who can score above 40 on quant. I took GMATPrep quant 4 times and never scored higher than a 41, but got a 44 on both my actual GMAT attempts. If you are a "natural" on verbal - which I think you are - I think the score is a bit deflated on prep... just my two cents.

In fact, I think I got a 690 on my second GMATPrep with these exact splits - after a travel monday + 14 hours work + 2 glasses of red wine . To me the key to the GMATPrep is just that it is great experiential practice. I mean having a fairly accurate scoring algorithm is nice, but it's all about having the experience of the real test with the actual software, etc.

neilferrini wrote:

Really hoping for a stronger score next Thurs. I have on more GMAT Prep exam, but not sure if I want to take it. Also have a ton of V.R. and Q.R. questions I have yet to touch that I can work through. Thoughts?

I think at this point it is unlikely that you're going to jam more content into your (already tired) brain. If it were me my study plan over the next few days would be as follows:Monday: 45 minutes ALL QUANT problems (no more)Tuesday: GMATPrep CATWednesday: Light reading on the forum for test day psych-up strategies, the 6.0 AWA post, no more than 10 quant practice problems. Lots of positive thinking & success visualizationThursday: 5-8 practice problems to warm the brain up, and then your planned G-day routine

This might seem kinda nuts, but I think mindset is incredibly important on test day. On my first attempt I was amped up. Sure I was going to kill it. I'm naturally a great test taker and so I had tons of confidence and I was excited and really up to smash the exam.I completely and utterly choked

Seven weeks later - totally new attitude for round 2. Instead of the amped killing machine, I was really calm.

I knew that what I was aiming to do (710 goal) was to be better than 90% of test takers. And MAN that is a competitive group. I thought a lot about how I had prepared, and I honestly felt that I had given myself an adequate study period, that I had studied smart, and that I had given it all I had. And then I was asking to be better than almost everyone.I realized I had to be okay with the fact that I just might not be better than 90% of everyone else AND that I wasn't willing to spend the next six months with my boyfriend the quant bible in order to increase my score. I had to be okay with whatever outcome happened because I felt really good about my preparation.

As you know, I ended up killing it the second time around. Yes, much of the difference was about more effective study habits. But a lot can be attributed to me taking the pressure off myself. Whatever score was going to be good enough - because I had put in a best effort. I felt SO different during the exam with this mindset - it actual was kind of fun (sick, I know).

So I wish you calm-zen-happy thoughts on test day. You absolutely must come back and say how you did!
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21 Dec 2011, 16:54

@LadyRoadWarrior

Thank you again for the reply and all the advice. I'm taking at noon tomorrow so hopefully I'll rock it. About to read through some AWA stuff. I have written both essays on all 7 practice tests I have taken so I am hoping that should be enough, but I'm going to read through it anyways and work a couple questions.

I am not entirely sure whether it is in my best interest to send my scores to schools. I won't be applying until next fall so it is not urgent that I get them out. I have heard from many that the score is self reported and you do not have to submit an official score report until you are admitted so in case things don't go as planned tomorrow, I am thinking it would be better not to send off a bad score. I know if I end up having to retake anyway they'll see it on my official report, but for the self-reporting part on the application, I am told that applicants should only put your best score. Is there any reason why I would chance it and send scores off ? The way I see it, I would just be giving a potential low score when I don't have to, but I have been a bit confused about the score reporting.

Thanks again for ALL of everybody's help and encouragement. Hopefully I'll be reporting good news hear tomorrow.